A majority of Pixel owners will jump to another brand at the next opportunity according to survey

According to Statista (via 9to5Google), a survey conducted of 9,571 U.S. smartphone users from April 2022 to March 28th of 2023 indicated that 57% of the Pixel users questioned were very likely to switch to a different smartphone brand at the next possible occasion. Only 26% of the 442 Pixel users surveyed answered that it was very unlikely that they would switch brands.

Pixel handsets are known for delivering outstanding photos, getting first crack at the latest Android system updates each year, and sporting exclusive Google features such as Direct my call (which shows a company's phone tree in advance as soon as the phone is answered) and Hold for me (which has Google Assistant monitor a call where you are on hold and alert you when there is a person on the other end of the line).

However, since releasing the Pixel 6 series in 2021, Google has shown an inability to deliver monthly updates on time, and the battery life on the latest Pixel Pro models, despite having the same battery capacity as Samsung's top-of-the-line flagship device, has been horrendous in comparison. Furthermore, while Google promises that new Pixel models will receive three system updates, that is one less than the four that Samsung Galaxy S23 series models are in line to get. Considering that Google creates the Pixel hardware and software, this is embarrassing.

Pixel users have also had to deal with plenty of bugs including one that was just exterminated yesterday thanks to a supply-side update. An issue with the Google app caused batteries to drain on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series devices and also caused these phones to overheat.

4,446 iPhone users were part of the survey and while 34% of these iPhone owners said that they were very likely to switch smartphone brands at the next opportunity, 49% said that they were very unlikely to buy another smartphone brand for their next phone.

Of the 2,738 Samsung Galaxy owners who took part in the survey, 34% said they would switch to another smartphone brand at the next possible occasion matching the response from iPhone users. But 44% of Galaxy phone owners said that they are very unlikely to switch brands, five percentage points below the iPhone's 49%.

If Google wants to grow the Pixel ecosystem, it will need to give Pixel owners an experience that makes them want to stick with the brand, not get out of Dodge at the first opportunity.